Melissa Viviane Jefferson was born on April 27, 1988, inDetroit,Michigan.[4] When she was ten, her family relocated toHouston,Texas.[5] She was classically trained as aflutist for eight years, from the age of ten until she graduated fromAlief Elsik High School in 2006, where she had started rapping.[6][7] At age 14, she formed a musical group called Cornrow Clique with her friends.[7] At this time, she acquired the nickname "Lizzo", a variant of "Lissa", inspired byJay-Z's "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)".[8] In college,[9] she studied classical music, concentrating onflute, at theUniversity of Houston.[10] At age 21, after her father's death, she lived out of her car for a year as she tried to break into the music industry.[11] In 2009 and 2010, she performed lead vocals and flute in the jazz/prog rock quintet Ellypseas.[12] She dropped out of college and moved toMinneapolis,Minnesota, in 2011.[13][14]
While living in Minneapolis, Lizzo performed with groups including theelectrosoul-pop duo Lizzo & the Larva Ink.[15] During this time she helped form a three-piece all-female rap/R&B group, the Chalice. In 2012, the Chalice released its first album,We Are the Chalice, which was locally successful.[16][17] In 2013, Lizzo was one of five artists to form the hip-hop group Grrrl Prty, which released two EPs before playing its final show atRock the Garden and disbanding in 2016.[18][19][20] Lizzo's hip-hop-focused debut album,Lizzobangers, produced byLazerbeak and Ryan Olson, was released on October 15, 2013.[21][22][23] Killian Fox ofThe Guardian gave the album 4 stars out of 5, saying: "At times joyfully nonsensical, Lizzo's stream-of-consciousness rhymes can also be lethally pointed."[24]
The album toppedStar Tribune's "Twin Cities Critics Tally 2013" list.[25] Music videos were created for the songs "Batches & Cookies",[26] "Faded",[27] "Bus Passes and Happy Meals",[28] and "Paris".[29] Lizzo toured the US and UK in the fall of 2013, opening forHar Mar Superstar and singing with his band.[30][31] In October 2013, Lizzo wonCity Pages' "Picked to Click" award for best newTwin Cities artist.[32] The next monthTime named her one of 14 music artists to watch in 2014.[33] The album was subsequently re-released byVirgin Records.[34] Later that year, Lizzo shared the stage withSt. Paul and the Broken Bones, performing "A Change Is Gonna Come" together.[35]
2014–2018:Big Grrrl Small World andCoconut Oil
Following the release of her first album, Lizzo immediately began working on new music.[24] In 2014, she participated in StyleLikeU'sWhat's Underneath project, where she removed her clothes as she talked about her relationships with her body.[36] Inspired by the experience, she wrote "My Skin",[36] which she called "the thesis statement" of her forthcoming second album.[37] In an interview withVice, regarding body image, she said:
You can wake up and change many things about your appearance, but the inevitability of waking up in your skin is what unifies us.[36]
In September 2014, Lizzo was featured alongside her Chalice bandmates Sophia Eris and Claire de Lune on the song "BoyTrouble" onPrince's and3rdeyegirl's albumPlectrumelectrum.[38] On working with Prince, Lizzo called the experience "surreal... almost like a fairytale" and "something I will never actually get over."[39] On October 7, 2014, Lizzo appeared as the musical guest on theLate Show with David Letterman.[40] Lizzo's second studio album,Big Grrrl Small World, was released on December 11, 2015.[41]Spin placed the album at number 17 on the "50 Best Hip-Hop Albums of 2015" list.[42] Hilary Saunders ofPaste praised Lizzo's "ability to rap and sing with equal tenacity."[43] Her collaboration with Your Smith (then Caroline Smith), "Let 'Em Say", was featured in the season three premiere ofBroad City.[44]
Lizzo was one of the hosts of MTV's short-lived 2016 live music performance seriesWonderland.[7] After signing withAtlantic Records that same year, Lizzo released her first major-label extended play,Coconut Oil, on October 7, 2016.[45] "Good as Hell" was released as the lead single from theCoconut Oil on March 8, 2016, as part of the soundtrack for the 2016 filmBarbershop: The Next Cut.[46] Lizzo co-wrote each song on the album, while enlistingRicky Reed,Christian Rich, Dubbel Dutch, andJesse Shatkin for the album's production. The result was a departure from Lizzo's previousalternative hip-hop releases. Lyrically, the extended play explores themes of body positivity, self-love, and the journey to those ideals.[47]
Coconut Oil received positive reviews from music critics. Syra Aburto, writing forNylon, wrote that "like the product it's named after, [Lizzo's] latest project,Coconut Oil, is essential for healthy living."[48]Rolling Stone placed it at No. 14 on the list of the "20 Best Pop Albums of 2016".[49] Commercially,Coconut Oil peaked at number 44 on USTop R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, making it Lizzo's first release to chart. To promote the extended play, Lizzo embarked on the Good as Hell Tour in 2017.[50] In May she headlinedThe Infatuation's annual food festival, EEEEEATSCON,[51] and also appeared as a guest judge on thetenth season ofRuPaul's Drag Race.[52] In early 2018, Lizzo toured with bothHaim andFlorence and the Machine.[7]
After struggling with body issues at an early age, Lizzo became an advocate for body positivity and self-love as she attracted more mainstream attention,[7] while making diversity the focus of her music, in regards to one's body, sexuality, race, and more.[7] Her group of back-up dancers, the Big Grrrls, consists of allplus-size dancers.[53] Highlighting body inclusivity and celebrating individuality, Lizzo appeared inModCloth's "Say It Louder" campaign, which launched on June 11, 2018.[54][55] In the same month, she sported the first plus-size outfit made forFIT's Future of Fashion runway show by Grace Insogna for her performance atNYC Pride's Pride Island event.[56] Lizzo was profiled in the June 2018Teen Vogue Music Issue.[57]
In 2019, in addition to her musical projects, Lizzo ventured into acting, with avoice performance in the animated filmUglyDolls, and a supporting part in thecrimecomedy-drama filmHustlers.[58][59] "Juice", the lead single from her third studio album, was released on January 4, 2019, by Atlantic Records.[60] The next month, she announced the title of the album,Cuz I Love You, which was eventually released on April 19, 2019.[61] After the release of her album, she performed at theCoachella Music Festival for the first time.[62] The release ofCuz I Love You marked a turning point in Lizzo's career, as she began to attract more mainstream attention; the album debuted at number six on theBillboard 200 and eventually peaked at number four on the chart, three months after its initial release.[63]
"Truth Hurts" has since become Lizzo's first number-one hit on theBillboard Hot 100.[67] Lizzo became the third female rapper to top the Hot 100 without a featured artist. She also became the first black solo female R&B singer to claim the top spot on the Hot 100 sinceRihanna's 2012 hit "Diamonds".[68] A week later, on September 9, 2019,Cuz I Love You became certified gold by theRIAA with over 500,000 equivalent units sold.[69] "Truth Hurts" spent seven weeks atop the Hot 100, tying for the most weeks at number one for a rap song by a female artist.[70] The music video for the song, in which Lizzo "marries herself",[71] has amassed more than 220 million views on YouTube.[72] In an interview, she revealed that the initial lack of success for "Truth Hurts"—what she had thought to be her best song yet at the time—caused her to seriously consider quitting the music industry altogether.[73]
Lizzo is also well known for her ability to play the flute.[74] She began playing as a child, and has continued to improve her flute playing skills into adulthood.[75] She has performed with her flute, which she has named Sasha Flute,[76] in several of her musical performances, including when she performed "Truth Hurts" at the2019 BET Awards.[77] Her performance at the BET Awards earned her astanding ovation from the crowd, which included Rihanna.[78] Throughout the summer of 2019, Lizzo frequently performed, including on the West Holts stage at theGlastonbury Festival,[79][80] and as a headliner at theIndianapolis andSacramentopride festivals.[81][82]
On July 23, 2019, Lizzo was nominated for Push Artist of the Year andBest New Artist at the2019 MTV Video Music Awards.[83] She performed a medley of "Truth Hurts" and "Good as Hell" at the2019 MTV Video Music Awards; her performance received critical praise.[84] Around this time, her 2016 single "Good as Hell" also climbed the charts around the world, reaching the top three of theBillboard Hot 100 and the top ten of theUK Singles Chart.[85] The song also reached the top ten in Australia and Belgium.[citation needed]
Lizzo made herSaturday Night Live debut as a musical guest on the December 21, 2019, episode, whichEddie Murphy hosted. The episode was the final episode of both the year and the decade.[86] In January 2020, Lizzo headlined FOMO Festival, performing in four Australian cities and Auckland, New Zealand.[87][88][89] She also performed a sold-out show at the Sydney Opera House, where she had previously performed as a young flute player.[90][91][92] She opened the62nd Annual Grammy Awards with a medley of "Cuz I Love You" and "Truth Hurts", and won three awards at the ceremony.[93] She received eleven nominations at the2020Billboard Music Award, winning one forTop Song Sales Artist.[94] At the2020 BET Awards, she became the first act to be nominated in both theR&B/pop andhip-hop artist categories in the same year.[95] In August 2020, Lizzo signed a production deal withAmazon Studios to develop new projects with them.[96] Her first project was an unscripted reality competition series calledLizzo's Watch Out for the Big Grrrls.[97] The show premiered on March 24, 2022.[98]
On August 2, 2021, Lizzo announced the beginning of a "new era" with the song "Rumors", which was released on August 13.[99] In an interview withVariety, Lizzo said her upcoming album would be "a love album" and "one of the most musically badass, daring and sophisticated bodies of work I've done to date."[98] The album was expected to be released in late 2022, though at the time of the interview Lizzo had not finished it yet.[98] On March 23, 2022, Lizzo announced the single "About Damn Time" was to be released on April 14. After the song's release, Lizzo revealed the title for her fourth album,Special, and announced a release date of July 15.[100][101]
She returned toSaturday Night Live as host and musical guest for the April 16, 2022, episode.[102] On June 10, 2022, Lizzo released "Grrrls", the first promotional single fromSpecial.[103] The song's lyrics generated controversy because of the inclusion of the word "spaz".[104] The line was eventually replaced with "hold me back", following a statement from Lizzo where she commented that "as a fat black woman in America, I've had many hurtful words used against me so I understand the power words can have (whether intentionally or in my case, unintentionally)".[105]
On July 15, 2022, Lizzo released her fourth studio album,Special, which earned acclaim from music critics upon its release.[106]Lizzoverse, an accompanying immersive cosmic light show experience set toSpecial, took place in New York City's Cipriani 25 Broadway and was livestreamed on Twitch.[107] Following the release ofSpecial, "About Damn Time" reached number one on theBillboard Hot 100 chart and maintained the position for two weeks.[108] In February 2023, "About Damn Time" won the coveted "Record of the Year" at the65th Annual Grammy Awards, making Lizzo's first win in the major categories.
Lizzo served as a contributing writer and producer onSZA's critically acclaimed second albumSOS, co-writing the song "F2F". Lizzo also collaborated with SZA on the remix of the song "Special", the title track of her album of the same name.[109][110] On December 17, 2022, Lizzo returned toSaturday Night Live for her third appearance as a musical guest, withAustin Butler hosting.[111] Lizzo replaced the bandYeah Yeah Yeahs due to memberNick Zinner having pneumonia.[112] In autumn, she embarked onThe Special Tour across North America, Europe, and Oceania.
The 2023 filmBarbie featured an original single from Lizzo titled "Pink". It was released onBarbie the Album on July 21 of the same year,[113] with a second version used in the film titled "Pink (Bad Day)" released on July 29.[114]
2025-present:My Face Hurts from Smiling andLove in Real Life
On February 15, 2025, Lizzo started teasing a new project titled "LIRL" by sharing a video clip on social media, slated with a release date on February 28.[115] On February 28, 2025, she released the lead single off of her upcoming fifth studio album, "Love in Real Life".[116] On June 24, 2025, she shared the track listing and cover art for her third mixtape,My Face Hurts from Smiling, which was released on June 27 byNice Life Recording Company andAtlantic Records.[117] Her fifth studio album,Love in Real Life, was completed by March and is expected for release in 2025.[118]
When asked about her sexuality in a June 2018 interview, Lizzo said, "I personally don't ascribe to just one thing... That's why the colors forLGBTQ+ are a rainbow! Because there's a spectrum and right now we try to keep it black and white. That's just not working for me."[119] She has a strong LGBTQ+ following and has dubbed her fans "Lizzbians".[120] She later stated that she considers herself anally and "leans heterosexual".[121][122]
Throughout her career, Lizzo has been subject tobody shaming due to herobesity.[123] She is considered a role model and advocate forbody positivity andself-confidence.[124] She partially credits social media, and the Internet in general, for changing the narrative around size and giving visibility to overweight women.[125] In March 2025, Lizzo posted a video revealing that she had gradually achieved significantweight loss. She has been doing daily fitness routines since January 2024, while continuing to advocate for body positivity.[126]
In December 2019, Lizzo sparked controversy at aLos Angeles Lakers game when she danced andtwerked to her song "Juice" on camera while wearing a dress that revealed her thong. In an interview withCBS This Morning she said, "Anyone who knows me knows that this is how I've always been. This is how I've always liked to dress."[127][128] On January 5, 2020, Lizzo stopped using Twitter; she cited "too manytrolls" as the reason for her departure, adding: "I'll be back when I feel like it".[129] Her Twitter account has since been updated by her management, while she remains active on her Instagram.[130][131] Lizzo often discusses her mental health and its impact on her career.[132]
In October 2021, she received criticism for callingChris Brown her "favorite person in the whole fucking world", due to Brown's various convictions.[135][136]
FilmmakerSophia Nahli Allison released a statement supporting the dancers. The director traveled with Lizzo in 2019 for her documentary but dropped out of the project. Allison wrote, "I witnessed how arrogant, self-centered, and unkind she is... reading these reports made me realize how dangerous of a situation it was."[141]
Lizzo has denied the allegations made against her, calling them "unbelievable" and "too outrageous not to be addressed".[142]
On September 21, another similar lawsuit was filed against Lizzo and her management team, alleging further inappropriate behavior backstage, including sexual and racial harassment, disability discrimination, assault, drug use, and illegal retaliatory termination. The plaintiff, clothing designer Asha Daniels, had previously worked with Lizzo on her tour for her fourth studio albumSpecial. Lizzo once again denied the allegations, with her spokesperson calling it an "absurd publicity-stunt lawsuit".[143] In December 2024, Los Angeles district judgeFernando Aenlle-Rocha ruled that Daniels could not sue Lizzo and her tour manager Carlina Gugliotta as individuals, dismissing allcauses of action against both. Aenlle-Rocha also dismissed several of Daniels' other claims, as she toured with Lizzo in Europe where American employment laws are not applicable. Lizzo's company, Big Grrrl Big Touring, remains a defendant in the lawsuit.[144]
In February 2024, a Los Angeles judge rejected a request by Lizzo to end the three backup dancers' case against her, though he dismissed some charges including one claim that Lizzo had allegedlyfat-shamed one of the former dancers, and another that Lizzo's team had allegedly discriminated against a person with disability. However, some sexual harassment and racial and religious discrimination allegations made against Lizzo and Shirlene Quigley, the captain of the singer's dance team, were upheld by the judge.[145]
In an article forThe Guardian in 2019, writer Leonie Cooper credited Lizzo for "the woodwind renaissance" as "the flute's brightest champion" in the mainstream.[158]
^Goldfine, Jael (November 12, 2018)."Lizzo Has Some Words For Haters Who Doubt Her Flute Skills".Paper. RetrievedAugust 18, 2025.The Minnesota-by-way-of-Houston artist played in marching bands from 8th grade until she graduated University of Houston, where she majored in classical flute performance and blew, as she once said, "the baddest piccolo in the land." She has since "snuck" the flute into all releases, from her 2013 debut Lizzobangers up to her most recent EP Coconut Oil, and frequently performs with the instrument live.
^Kale, Sirin (October 19, 2018)."Body-positive rapper Lizzo: 'My job is to emote and communicate and bop'".The Guardian. RetrievedAugust 18, 2025.When Lizzo was 21, she spent a year living in her car, as she tried to break into the music industry in the wake of the death of her father. She found herself over-exercising and dieting obsessively. Can she relate to that woman now? "That bitch is still here, bro!" she says. "I started going to therapy and thought she was gone, but she pops up." She's sanguine about it. "You can't just ignore the person you were. You have to embrace her."
^Rietmulder, Michael (October 9, 2013)."Lizzo: Like a boss".Vita.mn. Star Tribune. Archived fromthe original on November 27, 2015. RetrievedJanuary 22, 2023.
^Riemenschneider, Chris (September 29, 2012)."Raising the Chalice".Star Tribune. Archived fromthe original on March 28, 2022. RetrievedJanuary 22, 2023.
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